This application makes reference to, incorporates the same herein, and claims all benefits accruing under 35 U.S.C. xc2xa7119 from an application for METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REPRODUCING VIDEOGRAMS BASED ON PROGRAM RATINGS earlier filed in the Korean Industrial Property Office on the 29th of August 1997 and there duly assigned Ser. No. 42824/1997.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for reproducing a videogram contained in a video recording medium based on a program rating of the videogram indicated on the video recording medium, and more particularly, relates to a video recording/reproducing apparatus for restricting playback of a video recording medium containing a videogram based on a program rating of the videogram indicated on the video recording medium.
2. Related Art
Equipment for recording and/or reproducing videograms such as movies or films have become widely spread and gradually popular, and video recording media has also been developed as video cassette tape, compact disc-ROM (CD-ROM) and digital versatile disc (DVD). As a result, videograms can be easily viewed through such video recording equipment and recording media. However, videograms recorded on such recording media range from programs for children to pornographic programs for adults and everything in between including extremely graphic horror films or extremely violent films. While program rating for videograms has been developed for viewing control of certain film to certain groups of people based on the contents of the videograms, there is still a need to restrict access of certain groups of people to certain classes of programs.
There are several viewing control techniques known to restrict access to unauthorized viewing. Most viewing control inventions are directed to television programs such as is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,382,983 for Apparatus And Method For Total Parent Control Of Television Use issued to Kwoh et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,485,518 for Electronic Media program Recognition And Choice issued to Hunter et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,550,575 for Viewer Discretion Television Program Control System issued to West et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,583,576 for Rating-Dependent Parental Lock-Out For Television Reception issued to Perlman et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 5,751,335 for Viewing Restricting Method And Viewing Restricting Apparatus issued to Shintani. Other viewing control inventions are directed to video programs of video recording equipment such as is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,792,864 for Apparatus For Detecting Recorded Data In A Video Tape Recorder For Audience Rating Purposes issued to Watanabe et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,930,158 for Selective Video Playing System issued to Vogel, U.S. Pat. No. 5,122,886 for Selective Information Playback From Recording Medium Based On User Input Contents Code issued to Tanaka, U.S. Pat. No. 5,214,556 for Video Cassette Recorder Protection System issued to Kilbel, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,448,371 for Video Recording/Reproducing Apparatus Capable Of Reading A Label Of Laser Disk issued to Choi and assigned to the same assignee of the instant application. Conventionally, many suppliers for manufacturing videograms gain approval of program ratings with respect to videograms from program rating authorities and label the program ratings on video recording media by means of color markings when the videograms are recorded on the video recording media. However, many video record/playback apparatuses can neither discriminate between program ratings assigned to videograms by means of a video recording medium containing videograms, nor discriminate between the ratings of users who operate the video recording medium.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to improve control of videogram viewing.
It is also an object to provide an improvement in household control of unauthorized viewing of videograms.
It is further an object to provide a video record/playback apparatus for permitting a user to set a program rating code of a videogram and to record the videogram with the program rating code inserted therein for restricted use.
It is yet another object to provide a video record/playback apparatus for restricting playback of a video recording medium containing a videogram, by use of a user rating code input by a user and a program rating code of the videogram indicated on the video recording medium.
These and other objects of the present invention can be achieved by a method for restricting playback of a video recording medium containing a videogram. The playback restriction method may be practiced by (a) recording a program rating code indicating a program rating of a videogram determined based on the age of a user, (b) storing at least one user rating code corresponding to a user rating determined by a superintendent; (c) comparing the program rating code recorded on the video recording medium with the stored user rating code; and (d) performing a playback operation of the video recording medium according to the result of the comparison obtained by step (c).
According to one aspect of the present invention, a video record/playback apparatus for restricting playback of a video recording medium containing a videogram may use a key input unit for inputting at least one user rating code and a program rating code corresponding to the videogram; a recording/reproduction unit for recording the input program rating code on the video recording medium and reproducing the video recording medium; a rating code insertion/separation unit for inserting the program rating code into the videogram to be recorded on the video recording medium and separating the program rating code from the video signal supplied from the recording/reproduction unit; a storage unit for storing the input of at least one user rating code; and a controller for comparing the program rating code from the recording/reproduction unit with the stored user rating code and controlling the recording/reproduction unit to perform a playback operation of the video recording medium according to the result of the comparison.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a video record/playback apparatus for restricting playback of a video recording medium containing a videogram, may use a video recording medium on which a program rating code with respect to a contained videogram is indicated; a reader for reading the program rating code indicated on the video recording medium; a key input unit for inputting at least one user rating code; a reproduction unit for reproducing the video recording medium; a storage unit for storing the input of at least one user rating code; and a controller for comparing the program rating code from the reader with the user rating code stored in the storage unit and controlling the reproduction unit to perform a playback operation of the video recording medium according to the result of the comparison.
The present invention is more specifically described in the following paragraphs by reference to the drawings attached only by way of example.